


The Upside Down

by HoodedPenguin



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:41:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24229015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoodedPenguin/pseuds/HoodedPenguin
Summary: Emma woke up in a bed like every other day, except she woke up in the wrong bed next to someone that barely tolerated her at times. But, in whatever place she was in, she more than tolerated her.OREmma wakes up in an alternate dimension.
Relationships: Belle/Red Riding Hood | Ruby, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	1. A Bed Too Warm

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to make this dimension gay and throw Emma in it.

She rolled over in bed with a tired grumble, snuggling into the soft silk pillow. A wave of satisfaction hit her. This was the first time she felt well-rested in a while. Her body was filled with energy. She opened her eyes and swung her feet over the bed. 

“Come back to bed, Emma.” 

The moment of peace she had shattered. She glanced over her shoulder, a fear building in her stomach. Regina’s sleepy face stared at her with bleary eyes, “What’s wrong?” 

She ducked her face from view as her nerves started to show, “Nothing. I just have a, uh, early shift.” Before Regina could say anything else, she quickly stood and hurried out the room. 

As she thundered down the stairs, she caught sight of her outfit. It looked like she still wore no pajama bottoms when she slept. “Emma?” Regina’s confused voice effectively made her decision as she ran to her bug. She searched around her car for keys, which fell on her lap after she opened her visor. Her eyes caught sight of Regina’s concerned expression in her bedroom window as she pulled away. She drove down the street, unable to fake a smile at the early wakers starting their day. “Okay, Emma, think. Who has the power to do this?” A scowl formed on her face as she recognized the answer. She pressed on the gas of the car, heading toward Gold’s shop.

* * *

She growled, banging rapidly on Gold’s door, ignoring the strange looks she gained from the few people near his shop. “Gold, open the door, or I swear to--” 

The door swung open to reveal a very annoyed Gold, “Miss Swan, what is the matt-” 

She pushed past him and into the shop, “Do you have any clothes in my size, you know what, I’m sure I can find something.” 

As she wandered into the back of the shop and searched the room, Gold followed her. “What are you doing?” 

She grabbed a pair of surprisingly fitting jeans, ignoring the questions it created, “I’m not in the mood for games. I woke up in bed with Regina this morning.” 

Gold eyed her, “Which is not normal.” 

She snarled, shooting the man a glare, “What did I say about games?” He smiled, a familiar twinkle in his eyes. 

“You think this is funny?” 

He smirked, “Enormously, Miss Swan, or whatever your name is in your dimension.” She paused. The previous panic in her started to boil over. 

“This isn’t a curse.” 

“For you, it seems to be.” 

She slowly lowered herself to the floor. Okay, she was apparently in a whole different dimension, and no one seemed to notice. “Miss Swan, what did you tell Regina before you came barging into my shop?” 

She lifted her head, “I had an early shift.” 

He rolled his eyes, “Of course. We need to keep our cover from being blown.” 

“Our.” 

He sighed, offering his hand toward her, “Yes, Miss Swan. I’d rather not be accused of magical treason again.” She stared at the hand before grabbing it. Somehow, Gold’s twisted intentions calmed her nerves, it was familiar. 

“Okay,” she offered a shaky smile as her stomach growled, “but first, I need some food.” 

“Perfect, you’re exactly like her.”

* * *

She sat at the booth with Gold opposite of her, ignoring the looks from the diner’s occupants. “This dimension’s me doesn’t hang out with you much, does she?” 

He chuckled, “No, Miss Swan, but from our first interaction, I don’t think we do either.” She felt a smile on her lips for the first time since she woke up this morning. 

“Morning Em… and Gold.” Ruby bounced up at their table, her smile slowly fading. 

She flashed a tight grin, “Can I get my usual?” Ruby nodded with a confused look before glancing at Gold. 

“Mine as well, dearie.” She watched her walk away with their orders as she kept glancing back at them. 

“So, Gold, what’s the plan?” 

“I don’t have one.” 

“What!” 

The eyes of the diner shot to her as she stood suddenly. She gave them a sheepish smile before sitting down. “What do you mean you don’t have a plan?” 

Gold sighed, “I need to understand the differences between this dimension and yours. Magic has its own unique touch when altering dimensions.” She nodded, although half of the words flew over her head. 

“Okay, so I just need to tell you the differences.” 

Ruby placed their food on the table, “Here you go, Em. Gold.” 

She eyed the plate in front of her. “What is that?” 

“Your usual.” 

She laughed, pushing the plate away, “Oh, right. Can I get a burger with an order of large fries instead?” 

Ruby blinked, picking up the plate, “Um, okay. I don’t think Regina will be happy about that. Aren’t you on that food kick?” She blinked. Ruby stared at her for a beat before nodding and walking away. 

“Okay, so far, we have me waking up with Regina, and whatever the hell was on that plate being different.” 

Gold hummed, “We’ll have to document all this down along with how it was in your dimension.” 

She nodded, patting her pants for her phone before groaning, “Shit, give me your phone.” Before Gold could ask why, she swiped the phone from his hand. “I’ll text me the changes and add to it when I get my phone back. I guess I’ll have to break into her hou--” 

“That won’t be necessary, Miss Swan.” 

She shot him a confused look as the bell to the diner chimed. Without even thinking, she glanced at the door behind her. Regina stood at the door, her eyes roaming the diner. She ducked her head back into the booth, whispering to Gold, “I can’t keep this up with her.” He ignored her as the clicking sound of heels approached their booth. 

“Emma, you left so fast this morning, I thought you had an early shift.” 

She forced a smile on her face, her eyes flickering to Gold. “The Sheriff and I are working a case, dearie.” 

Regina shot Gold a glare, “I wasn’t asking you, Rumple.” 

He smirked, “Miss Swan seemed incapable of speech at the moment, your Highness.” She sneered at him. 

Okay, okay, don’t panic, act natural, and deescalate the situation. The question is, how? She stood suddenly and pulled Regina in for a kiss. The woman’s argument died on her lips as she practically melted into her touch. She took a peek at her face. This might be the first time she saw Regina relaxed. After a couple of moments, she pulled away from the kiss and flashed her a grin, “Sorry, I ran out. I completely forgot I had a meeting with Gold today.” 

Regina returned the smile, a faint blush on her cheeks, “It’s fine, dear. I was just worried. I brought you your phone, it was buzzing, and I figured it was important.” She grabbed the phone from the woman’s hand, a weird sensation spreading through her at the touch. 

“Thanks.” 

They stared into each other’s eyes. It was like they were the only two people in the room. 

“It was my pleasure.” 

She shook her head free of the hypnosis, “Right.” 

Regina nodded before smiling, “I’ll see you back at home.” She nodded and watched her walk away. 

“So,” she turned and flashed Gold a grin, “how was that?” 

He studied her, “Tell me, Miss Swan, what was your relationship with Regina in your dimension?” 

She furrowed her brows and sat back in her seat, “We were friends, well, on the best days.” 

He nodded, muttering to himself, “Of course.” 

Ruby walked back to their table with her food, “Better?” 

She flashed a smile, “Much.” She bit into the burger with a moan, “Just like home.” 

After she devoured her burger and half of her fries, she glanced up at Gold, “So, we should have a game plan. I mean, no offense, but I don’t think either of us has the patience for you to teach me about dimensions.” 

He glanced at her plate with a look of disgust before returning his attention to her, “I suggest you get reading, Miss Swan. The library is open till midnight, but I have other matters to attend to.” She stared at him, confused as he stood and left after placing a couple of bills on the table. 

“Hmph,” she tossed a couple of more fries in her mouth before standing to head to the library. 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she left the diner. It was a message from Regina. “Maybe we could finish what you started at dinner.” She felt a blush flare across her cheeks as she resisted the urge to throw her phone and never show her face again. Where was she going again? Her phone buzzed in her hand. She dropped her eyes to the screen, embarrassingly fast. It was a message from Gold. 

“Close your mouth, Miss Swan.” 

She clamped her mouth shut and looked around only to find Gold glaring at her from across the street. “Right, the library,” she waved at the man and hurried toward the clock tower.

She walked into the library with a determination to learn something. It was embarrassing that Gold saw her freak out whenever she was faced with Regina, she had to prove she was capable. She walked toward a random shelf and started browsing. “Oh! Emma, is something wrong?” 

She glanced at Belle with a confused look, “No. Why?” 

The Disney princess laughed, “I’ve never seen you in here for an actual book.” She flushed, trying to find any instance of that being untrue. 

“I read.” 

She smiled at her, “I believe you. Is there anything specific you’re looking for?” 

Although she was hesitant to answer after being burned by Belle, she nodded, “Anything about multiple dimensions.” 

Belle paused before reaching below her to grab a book, “Here.” She offered an appreciative smile before walking over to the chairs. Belle made a noise behind her before leaving her to read. After plowing through a couple of mind-numbing chapters, she looked up for a moment of freedom. A pair of voices reached her ears. One of them sounded like Belle. 

She stood quietly and walked over to the front desk, “Hey, Belle--” She yelped as she laid her eyes upon Ruby and Belle making out furiously on the counter. 

“Jesus, sorry!” She spun around and faced the opposite direction. Holy shit. Belle and Ruby! She didn’t even know they knew each other. There was some giggling behind her as heat flared up her neck. 

“It’s okay, Emma, we’re decent.” 

“Yeah, Em, I didn’t realize you were such a prude. I mean, you were practically making out with Regina early at the diner.” 

She spun around, her blush only deepening, “We were not making out. And I’m not a prude. I just didn’t realize you were here.” 

Ruby smirked at her, “Right. I didn’t think I’d ever seen you in a library.” 

She groaned, “Why does everyone keep saying that, I read a lot of books.” 

The two nodded before giggling amongst themselves. She rolled her eyes, pulling out her phone to text Gold before pausing. “Hey, Belle,” she glanced up at her, “remind me. Did you and Gold ever date?” 

Ruby frowned, tossing a protective arm around Belle, “What? No, Em. I thought you knew Disney misrepresented us.” 

Her eyes flickered between the two, “Right. I must’ve forgotten.” She quickly typed a message for Gold and sent it. After receiving an expected response, she tucked her phone back in her pocket, “I should Gold--- go. I should go. Thanks for the book, Belle.” She flashed a reassuring smile before hurrying out the door. 

As she walked down the street toward her bug, she watched the townspeople. Everyone looked normal, but she couldn’t even trust that. This dimension was so turned upside down. Her and Regina, Belle and Ruby, and who knows who else. She finally reached her bug, her hand resting on the handle. How was she supposed to deal with this? It wasn’t a curse or some weird Disney villain. She couldn’t even rely on the people she trusted most. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a message from Henry. A smile made its way onto her face, only to fade as she read the message.


	2. Uncharted Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma learns her place in the Mills family.

She barged into Henry's school with a slight panic in her eyes. The hallway was empty besides the receptionist. She rushed over to the front desk, blowing a loose strand of hair from her face, "Uh, I'm here for Henry." 

The receptionist gave her a polite smile, although a hint of concern twinkled in her eyes, "Ms. Mills picked up Henry an hour or so ago." 

The panic over Henry evaporated and replaced itself with guilt. She flashed an uneasy smile, "Right. I must've forgotten." The receptionist stared at her, a question lingering on her lips. God, how is she blowing her cover already? After a beat of unblinking eye contact, she rapped her knuckles against the desk and walked quickly out of the building. Her speed walk stumbled into a sprint as she hurried to her car. She rested her head on the seat, trying to rest for a second. It had to be her fifth freak out today. A smile cracked on her lips as she rested her eyes. Maybe Archie could recommend some relaxing activities, like fighting another Disney villain. She turned the ignition of her car on. If she were in her dimension, Regina would burn her alive for forgetting Henry at school. Her eyebrows bunched together as she drove her car off the sidewalk, a parking error in her panic. Would this Regina burn her alive too? She thought back to her encounter at the diner. It was effortless to distract her from her secret meeting with Gold and her terrible attempts at lying. Her ego rose a bit as she turned down Main St.. She didn't realize she was that good a kisser.

* * *

She waited in front of the Mayor's house, her eyes flickering to the windows for any peeking faces. It was windier than usual; she noted as she shifted her weight. 

"Good afternoon, Emma." 

She jumped when a hand suddenly clamped on her shoulder. Her hand shot to the usual place of her gun before dropping once she grasped air. Archie's friendly face smiled at her. She narrowed her eyes at the man, was he a psychic? It wouldn't be the craziest thing today. "Hey, Archie, what are you doing around here?" 

He lifted the leash in his hand, "Pongo wanted a walk." 

She glanced down at the Datamation wagging its tail beside him and arched an eyebrow, "I've never seen you around here. You change your route?" 

His eyes filled with concern, which seemed to be a theme for her, "I walk this route every day, except when it hailed. Pongo refused to leave the office that day." 

A realization crashed over her. She nodded her head rapidly, "Right. I must've missed you." 

He tilted his head at her excuse, and Pongo mimicked the movement. His finger adjusted the glasses on his nose, "I'm sure we barely missed each other, Emma." Her lie detector pinged. Archie was never one for confrontation. 

She gave him a polite smile, jutting her thumb behind, "Well, I should get back." 

He glanced over her shoulder at the house and nodded, "Of course. And, Emma, I'm here if you need to talk." 

Over her dead body. She smiled, "Thanks, Archie." She turned around and walked toward the door of the Mayor's house. Her knuckles hovered over the door. After a final glance that confirmed Archie was still watching, she took a deep breath and knocked. The sound of clatter sounded behind the door as she waited in apprehension. Suddenly, the door was pulled open to reveal an irritated Regina. 

"Oh, Emma." 

The irritation on her face faded into confusion. 

"You knocked." 

She released a nervous chuckle as she scratched the back of her neck, "How silly of me." 

Regina stared at her with a mixture of affection and bemusement. Being the focus of her attention shot a lightning rod through her nerves. She pushed past her with ease as regret flooded over her face. Her Bail Bondsman skills were failing her at the worst times. 

"Emma." 

She paused, a look of panic on her as she braced herself for the accusation, "Yes?" 

"You forgot to take off your shoes," Regina told her with a light peck on her cheek. 

She walked back to the front door, a numb feeling in her as she processed the events that wrecked her panic in a matter of minutes. She kicked off her boots before neatly placing them by the door after a second thought. "Okay, Emma, calm down and make it through dinner." After plastering a calm expression on her face, she walked to the dining room. Regina was serving plates in the kitchen. 

Henry glanced over at her with a small smile, "Hey, Ma." 

She stared at the scene. It was almost domestic. "Hey, kid," she walked over to the table and took a seat across from Henry. As she got comfortable, she noticed the odd look Henry was sending her. "What?" 

He glanced up Regina before shaking his head, "It's nothing. You're just sitting in the wrong seat." 

She glanced at the two other options she had for sitting. "Right," her favorite word today, "because I usually sit in…" She stood and placed her hands behind the seat at the head of the table. He slightly shook his head. Her hands slowly dropped from the seat before she walked to the opposite end of the table. As she sat, Regina set plates in front of them. 

Henry flashed a smile at his mother before looking at the food, "It looks great, Mom." 

A small smile bloomed. At the very least, Henry was the same kid in both dimensions. She broke her gaze from Henry to look at the plate in front of her. It was nearly identical from her supposed usual from the diner. She hid her look of disgust. Maybe it wasn't so bad. The clatter of a fork gained her attention. She glanced up to find Henry tapping his fork against his plate. He shot her a pointed look. 

"Henry, don't play with your food." 

He stopped his tapping and sent his mother an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Mom." 

Her sight wandered over to Regina, who had the same smile on her face. Suddenly, Regina glanced over at her. She ducked her eyes down to her plate, completely missing the hurt look afterward. After a couple of minutes of silence beside the occasional chewing, Regina cleared her throat, "So, Henry, how was school?" 

The guilt she felt early returned. She paused her picking at her plate to look at her son with full attention. He glanced between them before grinning, "Jacob broke the school's record for the number of times on the carousel in a row. He puked all over Paige afterward." His grin faded a bit, "But then she started to cry, and he was sent to the Principal's office." 

Regina hummed, "Paige must've felt embarrassed." 

He nodded with a pang of guilt in his eyes, "Yeah. Jacob had to apologize. And now he and Paige won't hang out anymore." 

"Well, Jacob should have known better than to try to do something so reckless." 

She watched Henry try to absorb her lesson. "What do you think, Ma?" The table's attention shifted to her. 

"Um. I think Paige is overreacting." His eyes widened in surprise, and he leaned in closer to her. She ignored Regina's look, a sudden sense of determination flooding through her. "Yeah. Jacob obviously wasn't trying to puke on her. It was just a harmless game gone wrong." 

He nodded, biting his lip as he glanced over to Regina. She took the chance to speak in stride, "Jacob should try to apologize again." The act of dismissing her opinion flared her temper. 

"Or maybe Paige should learn to forgive and forget." 

Regina tried to catch her gaze, which she avoided by flashing Henry a tight smile. He looked down at his plate before looking between them, "I don't think I'm that hungry anymore. May I be excused?" 

Regina nodded before standing suddenly, "You may. In fact, I think we should all be excused, seeing as not everyone is hungry." She glanced away as Regina stacked their plates together, hers clearly uneaten. 

"Good idea," she muttered and stood, "I need to work on a case anyway." She pulled her phone from her pocket before walking past the stairs to the study, where her son had run up only a few moments ago. "Archie's walking route changed. Henry is the same." She muttered to herself as she texted Gold. She sat down at the computer in the study, ignoring the guilt attempting to gain hold of her. It was beginning to become annoying; she had no idea how Snow functioned. She paused, she'd have to check in on them, eventually.

* * *

After a couple of hours of searching the Internet for any theories revolving dimensions, she found herself in a rabbit hole of Reddit nonsense. The howling wind snapped her from her slight amusement at a nonsensical post. She checked the time on the computer. It was still early, but the day was catching up to her. A yawn escaped her as she stood and walked out of the study. The lower house was empty. Regina had tidied up sometime during her hunt. Her eyes lingered on the couch. She was raising red flags to everyone she met. The amount of bull Regina had let slide over a kiss was probably losing its effect. 

"Ma?" 

She snapped her eyes to the top of the staircase where Henry stood. His face was filled with worry. Dammit. "Hey, kid. I was just deciding between a movie and sleep." 

The lie felt wrong, especially when directed at him, but he needed it. He smiled, although there was still a sliver of concern, "Sleep is the best option. You look tired." 

She grinned and started to walk up the stairs, "Gee, thanks, kid. You look a little tired yourself." 

He rolled his eyes, "No, I don't, but I'll still go to bed." 

She watched him walk toward his bedroom. Her attention turned to Regina's bedroom. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Henry's face peeking into the open. 

"Don't be an idiot," she muttered before entering the room. The bedroom was empty, but the sound of running water filled her ears. She's showering. Heat flooded her face as an unwanted image flashed in her mind. Suddenly, the water stopped. No. She rushed to the bed and nearly hid under the covers. After a few minutes, the creak of a door hit her. She closed her eyes, trying to even her breathing as naturally as possible. The sound felt heightened as she listened to the small noises. The sound of Regina's bare feet. An occasional opening and closing of drawers. After a lifetime of waiting, the cover on top of her moved, and the bed's weight shifted. She squeezed her eyes tighter as she held her body as still as possible. The only sound was the pounding of her heart in her ears. If she didn't know any better, she'd assume she was dying. She might be. 

"Brr, Emma, it's so cold," Regina whispered before scooting closer to her, "you're so tense." 

She swallowed harshly, cursing her body for going against her. "It's to conserve warmth," she joked, ignoring the nervousness in her voice. 

"Share the warmth instead." Regina's leg hooked over her, and she lay her head on her chest. Said warmth spread over her cheeks as she placed an arm on top of the brunette. She stared at the ceiling. This is okay, this is okay. Regina's hand slipped up her shirt, roaming over her stomach. Not okay, not okay. The wind thundered against the window. She never even liked the wind. It was useless and not as cool as a calm day. Regina shuddered and pulled her closer to her body. She slowly inhaled before wrapping her arms around the woman. 

"Please stop being cold," she muttered quietly despite her internal screaming. 

Besides the wind spreading terror outside, she was forced to listen to the sound of Regina's breathing below her. It was kind of peaceful. Her eyelids weighed heavily. The tension from her shoulders released as she drifted to sleep.

* * *

When she woke the next morning, the warmth was gone. It was missed. She blinked blearily as sunlight slipped through the windows. After a stretch and a yawn, she wandered from the room. A quiet chatter was sounding downstairs. She stood at the top of the stairs and took in the scene. Henry was multitasking between homework and breakfast. Regina was splitting her time between helping him and shooting emails through her phone. She started down the stairs and gained a smile from the two Mills. 

"Morning, kid. How's the homework?" 

He chomped down a spoonful of cereal, "I'm getting ahead for next week." 

She whistled as she sat down, "I barely did my homework when I was a kid." 

He grinned, "I know. Mom tells me about your late paperwork." 

Regina set down a cup of coffee in front of her with an amused twinkle in her eyes. She scoffed, stealing his spoon to grab a bite of cereal despite his sound of annoyance, "It's not always late." 

It was Regina's turn to scoff as Henry took back his spoon with a huff, "Name a time it wasn't." 

Her mouth opened only to slowly close as she came up empty. 

"At least you're pretty." 

She choked on her coffee as Regina turned her attention elsewhere. She cleared her throat, wincing at her burnt tongue, "I wanted to talk to you about yesterday." 

He rolled his eyes, "Ma, it's okay." 

"It's not, but I appreciate the effort. I promise I will pick you up on time, or at least try." 

He nodded. A smile appeared. He was so quick to forgive and forget. She had no idea where he learned that from considering the number of incidents Regina had thrown in her face. Her eyes wandered to Regina, who was serving her a bowl of cereal of her own. 

"Also." 

He groaned. 

She bit her growing smile, "Also, I was wrong yesterday. Paige had a right to be upset, and so did Jacob. Maybe you could try getting the two to talk things over." 

He grinned at her, "Two in a row, Ma." 

She rolled her eyes, "Quiet, kid. I'll eat the rest of your cereal." 

He yanked his bowl toward him. 

"Why eat your child's cereal when you can have your own?" Regina commented as she set a bowl in front of her. 

"Thanks," she muttered. 

After more than a handful of minutes had passed, Henry stood. She watched the two hurry to tidy up. "You're going to be late, Emma." 

She snapped herself from staring and stood, "Right." 

Regina eyed her for a bit before adding, "You better change." 

Her eyes swept over her outfit, "Yes. Change my clothes." 

Henry brushed past her as he grabbed his bag, "In your closet." 

She shot him a grin before nodding and heading up the stairs. For some reason, she stood watching at the top of the staircase for a beat. Their routine seemed chaotic, but they moved swiftly as a machine. And somehow, she was supposed to be a part of it. She took one last glance before heading into the bedroom. After a quick change, she rushed downstairs to meet them. 

"You're so slow, Ma," Henry whined after seeing her before dashing out the door. 

She chuckled and was mid-step after him when Regina's voice froze her, "Forgetting something?" 

Jeez, can't the universe give her one break? She turned around and decided to offer a sheepish grin, "Which was?" 

Regina rolled her eyes, "You're an idiot." She took a step and pulled at her wrists. Suddenly, Regina was kissing her. A noise escaped her at the kiss. After a beat, Regina pulled away and whispered in her ear, "Don't think I forgot about yesterday, dear." She gulped as Regina walked toward her car. Her ears tinted red. "Close your mouth, Emma." 

She clamped her mouth shut at the tease before she shook her head and hurried to Henry. He faked a gag, "My eyes." 

She scoffed and got into the car, "Do you want a ride or not?" He zipped his mouth before climbing into the car. After taking a moment to gather herself, she followed suit.

* * *

She sat in the Sheriff's office, staring at her phone on her desk. It was stupid to think Gold wanted that information, but she didn't know a thing about dimensions. The ticking of the clock on the wall reminded her of her time spent on the decision. After a beat, she grabbed her phone and quickly sent him a text before she could regret it. 

"Regina saying dear is different." 

He responded within minutes with a long paragraph about decency and TMI, which Henry must've taught him. She chuckled at some of the more flavorful words in the response. Her phone rang suddenly in her hand. She jumped before scrambling to answer it. 

"Hel-" 

"Emma! Are you free for lunch? Your father and I miss you." 

The sound of Snow's voice shook her. She'd assumed they'd meet eventually, but the universe had other plans. 

She scratched her chin in thought before nodding, "Sure. You know my lunch break?" 

As she listened, she wrote the time down on a notepad. Snow chuckled at the other end of the line, "Yes, Emma. I know your lunch break is at two." 

She scratched out the time on the pad, "Right. I'll see you then." 

After the two said goodbyes, she hung up. She checked the time on her watch, she had a few hours of work left till lunch. Her eyes drifted to the paperwork piling on her desk. Always late, huh? Not this time. After the mind-numbing task of hours of paperwork, she managed a dent in the stack. She realized why she refused to do them in the first place. Her phone rang on her desk. It was time for lunch. She stood and hurried to her car.

* * *

The diner was surprisingly unoccupied for a diner near 'lunch', but maybe people in this dimension ate earlier. She'd have to complain to Regina about that. As she walked into the diner, she spotted David's hand, waving her over. She smiled and approached. The top of Snow's head was visible as she grew closer. 

"Hey, Em!" David greeted her as he stood to hug her. 

"Hey." She turned to give a hug to Snow only to find her sitting for good reason. 

"Help me out, Charming." 

David rushed to help Snow stand. She ran a hand over her belly, "It's a lot harder than it looks." 

She stared wide-eyed at the pregnant stomach. Pregnant. Holy… 

"Emma, what's wrong?" 

Snow looked at her with concern, but she couldn't see past the baby--- the replacement child. She stepped back from her, stammering an excuse, "I-I have to go." With one last look, she rushed from the diner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any editing advice, I will gladly accept them!


End file.
